Annular modes represent variability of the zonal wind with a dipole structure centered in midlatitudes. Annular mode variability in the southern hemisphere results from an interaction between the zonal mean wind anomalies and synoptic scale eddies, while in northern hemisphere winter, the variability likely involves a three-way interaction that also includes stationary planetary waves. Since stationary waves also propagate throughout the stratosphere, there is a potential for coupling between the dynamics of the stratosphere and troposphere. We will describe experiments with a quasi-linear primitive equation sigma-coordinate model that produces realistic stratospheric warmings when run under perpetual January conditions. These experiments are designed to illustrate one aspect of the wave-mean flow interaction, namely, how the state of the troposphere influences the vacillation dynamics in the stratosphere. Vacillations are produced with three different forcing methods: 1) a vorticity source in the upper troposphere representing the production of stationary waves by the synoptic scale eddies; 2) a zonally asymmetric heat source at the surface representing land-sea temperature differences; 3) zonally asymmetric surface topography. With upper-troposphere forcing, the vacillation in the stratosphere evolves mainly through dynamics internal to the stratosphere and to which the troposphere responds as a result of eddy flux anomalies that occur in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. With forcing near the surface, vacillation in the troposphere zonal winds causes a modulation of the wave fluxes entering the stratosphere that strongly resembles observations, even though the wave source is held constant. Annular mode anomalies are then introduced into the model troposphere. For all forcing types, the low-index anomaly, with weaker winds at high latitude, results in a vacillation with a more disturbed polar vortex. For forcing in the upper troposphere, this results from a stronger wave response to forcing embedded in weaker winds. For forcing near the surface, the low-index anomaly allows more wave activity to enter into the stratosphere, probably as a result of changes in the refractive index.